Customer Reviews

Final Solution - Special Edition - DVD

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The movie is set in South Africa during the last days of apartheid in the early 1990s.

The story revolves around a young, white man who has been indoctrinated to be a racist. His racism is as virulent as you can imagine. His racism is extremely violent and all encompassing. But the young man slowly changes and sees the error of his ways. He is changed by the love of a woman and by the guidance of a priest.

The violence perpetrated at random to blacks is graphically shown. However, it is not gratuitous. It makes you feel the incredible hardships endured by the black South Africaners.

This movie provides hope that the most difficult human problems can be solved.

This film shows that true change is not political but spiritual. The hope for the future of mankind is not his design but through spiritual reconciliation. There is a reason that the United Nations asked to premier this film at the World Economic Summit in November 2002.

"A gripping tale, based on a true story, of a white supremacist whose incredible transformation from hatred to love is set in Apartheid, South Africa.

The indoctrination of Gerrit Wolfaardt (Jan Ellis) is complete. His family traditions, history, culture, and even his church taught him that Blacks are a cancer needing to be removed. Gaining the attention of prominent people in government and the military, he develops a diabolical plan to rid South Africa of the "black danger".

Celeste (Leizel van der Merwe), who later becomes Gerrit's wife, and Pastor Lekota (Tony Award Winner, John Kani), cause Gerrit to question and turn from the racist views of his past; However, his past is about to collide with his future. Following his transformation, he is confronted by Moses Moremi (Mpho Lovinga) whom he had beaten violently years earlier.

An award winning drama capturing the horror of South African apartheid, but also the wonder of a transformed heart. It is a memorable film about the power of forgiveness and reconciliation."

This was a wonderful movie about the change God can make in the worse racist's heart. Very well filmed, brilliantly written. By the way, the movie is rated R for violence, there is no swearing or nudity or blasphemy.

If you can get your hands on "to end all wars", do so, it's another similiar themed movie that is worthy of a look. It stars keifer sutherland and robert carlyle.

It is Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday this week. I did not know that when I took this DVD out. This is the story, often narrated by those who experienced it, about the ending years of South African apartheid. Gerrit Wolfaard has a long lineage of resistance. His grandfather rebelled against the British and was executed by a firing squad in 1901. Gerrit grows up visiting this site and being inculcated into hatred for Blacks, Jews and any one else who is not an Afrikaner. He devourers Nazi literature and joins an underground group that plots a convoluted "final solution." His wife-to-be, Celeste, introduces him at the height of his raging violent days to a black and white church with peaceful intentions. He learns, much to his chagrin, that there is no passage in Bible that promotes discrimination on the basis of color. There is no passage that states that Blacks have no souls, as Gerrit has been led to believe all along. He transforms over the years into a peaceful personality. His wife grows up in a tolerant white family dedicated to equality. These two, along with their pastor (Pastor Lakota) intervene when a raging Black mob seeks revenge against a captured white man who, along with his cronies, has just been captured after a vicious attack on a Black enclave. The night is long, hot and on the threshold of fresh violence. Moses, a Black youth, retells the story of having been violently beaten a few years ago by the same gang that was headed by Gerrit. He and Gerrit come face to face. Overcoming extreme emotion and long soul searching, Moses forgives him at the urging of his pastor. "If we don't forgive, God will not forgive us," Lakota enjoins Moses.

This is a violent movie, emotions and passions run high, the nights are tense and convictions weaken their grip but not before causing harm along the way. Apartheid is a cruel concept and practice. This movie provides graphic details if any one doubts this. Reconciliation is very much a part of this movie but its muted voice is just audible towards the end. I wanted to see it given a louder expression much earlier in the movie.